more stats
2,497 ft
Distance
16 ft
Climb
-112 ft
Descent
00:03:36
Avg time
-95 ft
Altitude change
425 ft
Altitude min
529 ft
Altitude max
520 ft
Altitude start
425 ft
Altitude end
-3.818%
Grade
-15.467%
Grade max
17.378%
Grade min
181 ft
Distance climb
2,065 ft
Distance down
250 ft
Distance flat
00:03:36
Avg time

Brown Bear Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Hillside Park
    Anchorage, Alaska
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (4 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    90 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 55 in Hiking
    • 85 in Winter Fat Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #53309 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #78554 in Trail Running
    • #145760 in Hiking
    • #883 in Winter Fat Biking
  • State Ranking
    #124 in Mountain Biking · Alaska [+]
    • #413 in Trail Running
    • #755 in Hiking
    • #25 in Winter Fat Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Jump, Ladder Bridge

This is a short technical rooty trail that's a good challenge, The trail includes some ladder bridges and some small catch berms and some natural jumps. This trail is one of the most technically challenging trails at Hillside Park.

Access Info

From the hilltop Ski Area parking lot, ride north on the Gasline trail (straight, flat, wide-open trail) until you reach the top of a steep downhill - look to your left and you'll see the south end of the Brown Bear trail heading off into the woods.

Tags
BermsBridgesJumpsRootySkinnies

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 7 miles average
6 Months
  • 97 rides
  • 16 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,149 rides
  • Last: Oct 23, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
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Status:
on May 31, 2026
Avg: 3.91 (6 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (5,657)
close
      Directions to brown-bear trailhead (61.149240, -149.738970)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      2 more »
      report
      mtb
      196 |
      Sep 10, 2017 @ 5:39pm
      Sep 10, 2017
      fatbike
      81 |
      Jan 5, 2025 @ 2:54am
      Jan 5, 2025

      Videos

      2 more »
      Brown Bear in winter
      mtb
      4:23 | 200 | Jan 6, 2026 , Anchorage
      Hillside - 'Brown Bear'
      mtb
      240 | Jun 19, 2025 , Anchorage

      Trail Lists

      Routes with this trail

      45
      Ak MTB Marathon Lap 2026
      17 miles • 1,669 ft • 12 • Loop • Race •
      AK MTB Marathon Lap 2026 - BLM Permit Required
      41
      Alaska MTB Marathon Course
      16 miles • 1,788 ft • 13 • Race •
      Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/AK/Anchorage/AlaskaMTBMarathon
      3.9 ★★★★★
      6 Ratings
      5 ★ 67%
      4 ★
      3 ★
      2 ★ 17%
      1 ★ 17%

      3 Reviews & Comments

      wolfdoodle5017 wolfdoodle5017
      There has been a lot of work on this trail. Unfortunately, all the challenging sections have been removed or dumbed down. Rating should be changed to an easy blue.
      mexicanbobcat
      Fun little trail! Closer to a Blue than a Black. More difficult going Westbound.
      maule-man maule-man
      Definitely not the best trail on wet days

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      Nearby Trails

      Hillside Park

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Brown Bear located?
      Brown Bear is located in Hillside Park, Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Hillside Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 61.14924, -149.73897.
      ▼ How hard is Brown Bear?
      Brown Bear is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 3.818%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Brown Bear?
      Brown Bear has 16 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 112 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 425 ft to 529 ft.
      ▼ Is Brown Bear a point to point trail?
      Brown Bear is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Brown Bear?
      Brown Bear is 2,497 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Brown Bear?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Brown Bear. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Brown Bear?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Brown Bear are:
      • November (69 activities)
      • June (66 activities)
      • July (58 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Brown Bear? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Brown Bear are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Brown Bear?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 4 minutes to ride Brown Bear. The trail is 2,497 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Brown Bear?
      Brown Bear is a very popular trail. There have been 5,724 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 5,657 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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